An objection to our project that I get occasionally goes something like this: sure, it would be great if people really understood the complexities involved in helping people and gave accordingly – but aren’t we worried that revealing these complexities will just make them want to give less? What happens when people learn that charity…
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Why don’t people give more?
Generally, I’m less interested in getting people to give more than I am in getting them to give well – I think of healing the world as a project that needs a better, smarter budget more than it needs a bigger one. But here’s a very simple idea on the subject that I don’t believe…
Cooperation “versus” conflict
This comment struck me. It makes me wonder how many people get their “nonprofit niceness” (the bane of my existence nowadays) from a determination to act as though “we’re all on the same side.” The thing is, I do think we’re all on the same side – at least, those of us who are in…
Alternative visions
Last week, I shared my ideal vision for where we’re ultimately headed. Many of GiveWell’s biggest fans and supporters – including Jason – think it’s totally unrealistic. That’s OK. I’d be happy with about a hundred other possible chains of events, including: Donors give directly to charities rather than through clear funds, but they still…
We will be the most criticized grantmaker of all time
Getting there won’t be easy. Our registration form for nonprofits includes a question asking how we can improve the form, and I’ve gotten a lot of useful feedback from it (which I’m incorporating as we speak), but I’ve also gotten some ludicrously enthusiastic praise for what is, in fact, a series of about 10 checkboxes….
My vision
This seems like a good time to spell out my vision for how the nonprofit sector would ideally work (i.e., where we’re trying to help it get). This is important because a lot of people seem to think that we have a “hyperintellectual” idea of charity, and are hoping that all donors will eventually become…